CALLING ALL NATURALS AND TRANSITIONERS!!

[princetongal20]

Okay, so I have been lurking here for a while and I had finally gotten a regimen down by researching like CRAZY and experimenting with what did/didn't work for my own hair.

But now....

I have decided to go natural. After like...an entire YEAR of debating. I have been in braids since November. I haven't had a relaxer since around october. So I guess that makes me about 12 weeks post. I'm taking the braids out at the end of January and I'm not going to bc. I want to transition. I'd say I have a little over an inch of new growth.

I was wanted to get a feel for the products/regimens of those who are transitioning now or have successfully done so. I know I'll have to choose what works for me, but I want to get some suggestions.

Please post:

1. Your regimen
2. Your staple products
3. Transitioning or fully natural- for how long?
4. How long is your hair?
5. Any tips you may have for a newbie transitioner!!?


Thanks in advance ladies! I can't WAIT to hear your responses.

<3 Jess

 

[BostonMaria]

Just wanted to wish you good luck!!!
My regimen as a transitioner was different back in 07. My relaxed hair didn't like the stuff my natural hair likes and vice versa.

1. Your regimen - My transitioning regimen was shampooing my hair, deep conditioning and rollersetting. I did this to hide the two textures. I also did coconut and/or olive oil pre-poos once a week.
2. Your staple products - back then I used Diez en Uno, diluted baby shampoo. Right now its mostly Hairveda products, coconut oil, hardly any shampoo, I co-wash almost 7 days a week.
3. Transitioning or fully natural- for how long? I transitioned for 10 months. I'm fully natural for 16 months.
4. How long is your hair? Its now BSL
5. Any tips you may have for a newbie transitioner!!? Have some patience and try to concentrate on moisturizing your hair. Read the boards and see what others are doing. You will need as much encouragement as you can get cuz its tough and people will try to discourage you.

 

[vlucious]

1. Your regimen
im simple, very simple. cowash daily. deep condition and protein when needed.
2. Your staple products
queen helene cholesterol, crisco (!!) sunsilk hydra TLC
3. Transitioning or fully natural- for how long?
fully natural for a year in april
4. How long is your hair?
shoulder length stretched
5. Any tips you may have for a newbie transitioner!!?
patience, and listen to your hair when it tells you it needs protein, do it! same with moisture. and dont go overboard! ive kept it extremely simple, and i think ive had pretty good progress.

 

[Caramel Jewel]

1. Your regimen

I'll DC every third day, once a month I'll shampoo..once I rinse I spray a mixture of -one third oil to two thirds water- in my hair which moisturizes it quicker that rubbing some kind of lotion in it... then I'll add a leave in conditioner and style

2. Your staple products

I'm still experimenting....But I do like the silk2 moisture tech deep conditioner (not sold in stores)..I like the way it defines my curls..Although I still have a perm, I can tell it defines them well from how the hair feels with my fingers... I'm still trying other products one at a time, so I don't waste my money.

for example I just finished a mizanni hydrafuse conditioner...it's an instant conditioner and it didn't define the hair like I would like so I'm moving on to another brand.

I'm still experimenting with leave in conditioners and moisturizers-
people here talk about aloe and glycerine..I haven't got around to trying them yet...but my hair does seem to like a little bit natural oil in it like olive and almond...the next oil I'll try is the extra virgin coconut oil

3. Transitioning or fully natural- for how long?

I'm transitioning. The eleventh was seven full months since my last relaxer.

4. How long is your hair?

my new growth is over three inches...my permed hair, well when I started transitioning one side was shorter than the other (I still can not do a pony tail)

5. Any tips you may have for a newbie transitioner!!?

I've been doing twist outs a lot lately..when you do them just remember do not twist (or braid) the new growth...cause if you do you'll have parts in your hair

 

[princetongal20]

Thanks for all the advice so far, ladies!!

Oh..and good tip on the not twisting/braiding newgrowth. I totally wouldn't have thought of that.

Yeah, I'll be doing a ton of braidouts...

Jess

 

[Mandy4610]

1. Your regimen
I wash with Shampoo once a week and cowash once or twice a week. I DC twice a week, moisturize and seal twice daily. Rollerset every now and then.

2. Your staple products
I use natures gate asian pear and red tea shampoo, Suave tropical coconut conditioner or Mizani thermasmooth for cowashes, Aubrey organics HSR/ORS mayo/Banana Brulee for DCing, Qhemet Bioloques moisturizers, coconut oil/Oyin burnt sugar pomade for sealing, Oyin Juices and berries for Leave-in.
More in in my fotki

3. Transitioning or fully natural- for how long?
I did not have the patience for transitioning, so I went ahead and BCed at 10wks post. I will be one year natural in March
4. How long is your hair?
Neck length stretch and a glorious TWA when Shrunken
5. Any tips you may have for a newbie transitioner!!?
DO NOT BC TOO FAST/TOO SOON...I did not realise this when I BCed, it was very sponteneous which was good and bad at the same time.
Setting realistic goals for yourself is key. When things start to get tough, give yourself a period of time that you want to commit to. Find a hair buddy that has or is going through the same things that you are going through. This is what has helped me through the journey this far.
I had relaxed hair for the longest time and when I BCed everything was fine until I started to get some length and could not figure out what to do with it.